Method and means for collecting and arranging biscuits and the like



g- 9,1931 R F. M FARLANE ET AL 1,371,332

METHOD AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND ARRANGING BISCUITS AND THE LIKEFiled Dec. 28, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTORS Kobe/'2? Ire/20kMcfarmze WzZZz'a/n Edward Prescott ATTORNEY 9, R. F. MQCFARLANE ET AL 71,871,332

METHOD AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND ARRANGING BISCUITS AND THE LIKEFiled Dec. 28, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 tam" .54 5 e 2/ new 5 IN VENT ORSRobe/'2' Ira/20k Maa'farZ/me g, ATTORNEY Aug. 9, 1932. R. F. M FARLANEET AL METHOD AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND ARRANGING BISCUITS AND THELIKE Filed Dec. 28, 1929. 4 Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEY Aug. 9, 1932. R. F.M FARLANE ET AL 3 5 METHOD AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND ARRANGINGBISCUITS AND THE LIKE I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .Filed Dec. 28, 1929 rr IU i a1 1 I l INVENTORS Jfoberifrerzcfi J/acf'ar-Zarze BVVz'ZZz'amZdzqardPresaaiZ 7" ff rgzmy Patented Aug. 9, 1932 T E ATES ATT oFFIcE ROBERT rnn'ncn MACFARIJIANE. or FULI-IAM, Lennon, AND WILLIAMnnwann rnnsg corn or 'WILLESDEN, Lennon. ENGLAND, assrenoes T0 BAKERPERKINS com- IPANY, INCL, 0F SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION O15 NEWYORK l ras'rnon AND Means Foe cottncterive Ann aarteneine BISCUITS A ainTEFL inn Application filed December 22, 1929, Serial No. 417,207, and inGreat Britain Januar e, 1929.

This invention relates to devicesfor col lectlng and arrangingblscuitsor other articles of ashape or character susceptible oftreatment according to the invention. For convenience in descrlbing theinventionthe articles under treatment Willberei erred to as blscults 1Ehe objection of the invention is toprovide a machine adapted to receivebiscuits dehvered by a conveyor more or less continuously to collectthem in an ord erly mannerand arrange them m1 afashion suitable to theirbeing handled in convenient batches.

; According to the invention biscuits are received in single file orin'a pluralityof files, and themachine arranges them in rows onebehindthe other, by successively'dis placing a predetermined number or row ofV biscuits from the file or column 111 a direction transversely to thedirection of-movement of the file. i l V he invention also consists ofmeans for passing a predetermined (row-forming) number of biscuits infile or column succes sion, arresting the head otthe file iorbring ingthe biscuits into close formation and for: transverse displacement, holdng'the following part of the filein waiting forbfeeding as a subsequent.row; whilst causing. the first: mentioned row-forming number of biscuitsto be given a further movement in the feeding direction therebyprovldlng a clearance space between the last biscuit of the said.

feeds the biscuits against a displaceable stop;.

and in front of the working face of areci-procatory pusher thatdisplaces the biscuits transversely to their. previous direction oftravel. Upon the arrival of the leading his cuit against thedisplaceable stop those bis= cuits of the file that lie outside the zoneof action of the pusher are detained whilst the stop is taken away....The conveyor band.

again advances thepredetermined numberof biscuits-a short distanceuntilth-ey againencounter the stop. This short additional travel or" thepredetermined row separates it for transverse displacement from the maincolumn'. The pusher then displaces the row transversely to the directionof movementof the band on to a batch plate carried bva conveyor which isthereafter given a -step wise movement to accommodate the next ro'w;

'Accordl'ng to one honvenient mode of handmanipulation of the machine alever or arm,' I

the reciprocation of which is adapted togive a stepwise movement of theplate, its-pro vide'd withsu'pplementary controls ,or -li2i.1i-' dle'sone of which is adapted to supply" a brake tothe advancing columnofb'isc'uit-sf while the other is adaptedtoadjust the dis placeable stopbackwardly.

"In the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatieplan view at the machine.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional plan viewlofthecentral portion of the'nia'chine.

Fig.- 3 s fragmentary perspective view showing the method oftransferring fromsinlgle file to a'mu'ltiple row formation.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showingthe relative positions of thepusher and gate at the end of a transfer stroke of the pusher.-

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the machine, partly broken away, showing aside view of the single-file supply conveyor and end View of thebatchplate conveyor. 7

Fig. 6-isa top plan view par tly broken away, of the ingle-fileconveyor. 7

Fig. 7 lie-a part sectional side View of nthe mach1ne,wbroken away,-showing'the batch 1 platec'onveyor and control lever mechanism,-

theiview being taken in the direction of the arrows,"Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is aside view of the-mechanism far in eauygadju'sting' the banewhenv me ha nism of Fig. 2.

file of biscuits. 7

Fig. 10 is a part Fig. 9 is a part'section'al detail of the j able stopfor the advancing end of the single sectional detail in 1 elevation, ofthe brake-actuatingmechanism; Fig. 11 is a side view, vpantly sectional;

55. actuated by a hand lever 16 which is suitably showing a modifiedarrangement of gate and plunger actuating mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 10.

In carrying the invention into effect as applied to collecting andarranging biscuits delivered in single file froma machine, for example,a'biscuit creaming or sandwich forming machine as described in ourco-pending application, Serial Number 325,194, filedDecember 11, 1928,the single file is received from the creaming machine and delivered byway of an inclined chute into a channel 1. The channel is formed by afixed rail 2 and an adjustable rail 3 mounted upon a bottom member 4which is pivoted at one end to the A framework 5,'the other end beingconnected traveling band that carries the biscuits in any suitablemanner to the machine from which the biscuits are being collected.Lateral adjustment of rail 3 is effected byalinement screws 6 and thumbscrews 7 or other-- wise. g V

A bar 8 is located above the floor of the channel 11a distance suitableto accommodate the thickness of the biscuits, giving 'sufficientclearance for, them, but close enough to their tops to thwart anytendency of the column tobuckle and prevent one biscuit riding overanother. Bar 8 may be vertically adjustable inits supports 9 andpreferably extends the while length of channel 1. The bar is raised toan inoperative position when the apparatus is used to collect creambiscuits, v V,

In the bottom of channel 1 is an endless along the channel to the placewhere they are displaced transversely in the form of compact rows ofpredetermined length; For this purpose the band 10 extends across themachine and serves to feed the biscuits to the mechanism by which theyare transferred in rows and assembled'in batches.

VA platform 11 for the displacement of the biscuits transversely is madeof a thin-plate,

. which is spaced above the batch plates 12 that are ultimately toreceive the biscuits.

The batch plates are carried on a batch conveyor 13 thatpreferably has astepwise movement and advances at each step the width of a biscuit rowso that successive'rows are arranged one behind the other in close order7 on the batch plate. The stepwise movement of the conveyor 13 may beproduced by means of a ratchet14 and pawl 15, the'latter being coupled.to the pawl by a link 17 V A pusher18serves to feed the biscuits fromthe "band 10 onto the batch plates12 on'con-i veyor l3. The pushercomprises a recipro-' cating frame having a vertical wall or workingface 19. The pusher travels from a position of alinement with the fixedrail 2 of the channell across to the delivery edge of platform' 11. Thelength of the working face ofthe pusher corresponds with thefllength ofa biscuit row to be transferred. In front of the pusher face 19 andspaced therefrom a distance approximately equal to the internal crosssectional dimension of the channel 1 is a displaceable gate 20 mountedin such a way that when the pusher 18 is reciprocated to displacebiscuits from the line of the file gate 20 moves outof the way and givesthe biscuits a free passage across platform 11. Reci-procatorymovementis given the pusher by mechanism that also displaces the gate.

The pusher and the gate are operatively connected to work synchronouslywith each other and with a hand lever 16 for slipping the batch plateconveyor. The mechanism chosen for illustration in Figs. 2, 5, 7includes a rock shaft 21 mounted in brackets 22 on the frame of themachine. Rocks shaft 21 is connected by lever 23 and link 24 to the handlever 16. v

' A pair of levers 25, 25 are fixed to rock shaft 21 and links 26, 26connect the levers to a pairof. brackets 27 27 on the pusher 18.

'VVhen the rock shaft 21 oscillates the pusher 18. is reciprocated,slidingin its guide's28 and 29.

The brackets 27 in addition to serving as pivotalfconnections for links26 carry a secondary rock shaft 301from which a pair of arms 31'depend,carrying thegate 20.

The rock shafts 21 and are coupled to;

gether by lever 32 and link 33 andlarm 34 whereby any oscillatorymovements of. the rock shaft 21 will be communicated 130M161 rockshaft30, causing displacement of gate 20. The gate is mounted on thearms 31 by means of arms 35 and wing nuts 36; f

To' keep" the biscuits from lifting while theyare being transferredarail 37 is secured to bracket'27 by means of a pair of light wirearms38. The arms may be clamped in vertically adjustedposition by means ofwlng nuts39. Thus the'arms 39 may have the necessary verticahand lateraladjust-- ments. A g

A brake device in the form of a lateral blade 40 is arranged to restrainthe move-' ment of the file of biscuits along channel 1andto'accommodate the brake the rails 2,- 3 of channel l'terminate shortof the near end of pusher 18. Brake blade40 is mounted to swing on a.spindle 41 which'is oscillated by irrespective of their arrestment; Thestop 45 is displaceably mounted uponv guide menu-V ber 28 for thepusher, and can be moved backward apredetermined distance. .Such.

backward movement of the stop is effected by a wire control 46.1 Ifdesired two sep-.

trols 47, 4-8. These grip controls are adjust-.

able independently and the brake 40 is pref: erably arranged to operatebefore theposition of the stop {l5 is readjusted in the manner justdescribed. i

Varying width of batch plates may be accommodated in this machine andfor that purpose pusher 18 is made with a central portion 18a, havingtelescoping end pieces 185, 180 connected by links 18d to a .ro-irtatable adjusting plate 18 which is=slotted and provided with nuts18fifor lockingthe parts in their adjusted position. The guide members28, 29 are also slotted for, adjustment.

- Band 10j is supported in guide wheels l9, 50, the latter being drivenfrom a suitable sourceby a cone pulley 51. The band wheel is tensionedby adjusting screws 52 associated with the guidefwheel 49. The band 10can be laterally adjusted to accommodate difierent sizes of biscuit,with theconsequent variation in the width of the channel 1. The shiftingof the band is" effected by axial adjustment of the spindle 53 ofthe'guide wheel 19 by means of the forked double armed lever 54: whichis given a pivotal movement by the screw spindle 55. The double armedlever 54 is fixed to shaft 56 extending beneath the machine. At theother end of the band a similar arrangement (not shown) may be provided,whereby lateral movements of both of the wheels are effectedsimultaneouslv.

In operation a single file of biscuits proceeding along the channel 1travels onward after leaving the channel and proceeds across theplatform 11 until it meets stop 45. Brake blade 40 is then actuated bypressureon the grip 47 to hold the foremost of the main biscuit column.As soon as the column has been arrested stop 45 is moved back thepredetermined distance by actuating the grip 48 and the band 10 movesthe predetermined number of biscuits that lies upon the platform forwarduntil the foremost biscuit again meets the stop. This movement spacesthe last biscuit of the row on the platform away from the foremostbiscuit in the supply file. Thus is produced a working clearbiscuits.

ance between the biscuits about to be moved transversely andthe file ofbiscuits that iswaiting in channel 1 readyto proceed across the platformwhen brake blade 40 is released.-

When the predetermined row of biscuits has been thus selected andisolated from the file thepusher 18 is actuated by hand lever 16 to makea stroke transversely. Simultaneouslywith the stroke of the pusher thegate 20 is raised permitting the biscuits to be pushed out upon theleading edge of the batch plate 12 lying ready to receive them. -Thepusher and gate regain their initial position while the batch plate isbeing moved forward one step. Brake 10 isthen liberated and stop 15 isreturned to its normal position, by the spring return of the wirecontrol 46. The waiting file is picked up by the traveling band andpassed across the-platform in front of the pusher for repetition of thetransfer operations. Y

The cycle of operations is continued to build up a batch, row by row.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention (see Figs. 11 and12) the pusher may comprise abar 57 mountedv upon a pair of guide rods58 (onlyone of which is'shown) and guided in bearings 59. -Thebar '57carries an end plate 60 and a fixed central plate 61, the joints betweenwhich are covered by thin plates 62. The adjustable plate 60 and fixed.central plate 61 together constitute theworking face of thepusher. Theadjustable.

end plate 60 isbent at right angles to form'a support 63 for theadjustable stop 45a.

Adjustment of the end plate 60 is elfectedv by a screwed rod 64 whichengages nuts 65 carried by the pusher, the rod having a milled head 66operatingin a fork 67 mounted on.

The gate 26a is carried by bent threaded the bar 5 rods 68 adjustablymounted on a rock shaft 69 pivoting in bearing 70 secured to the bar 57.The rock shaft has arms 71 fixed upon the ends thereof, said armscarrying rollers 72 engaging cam surfaces or ramps 73. On moving thepusher to displace a row of biscuits, the rollers 72 will ride up theramps and cause the gate 20a to rise out of the way of the arms74suppor-ting wires 7 5 to which a guard Ila;

rail or wire 76' is attached, the wires 75 being secured by bolts 77whereby the desired adjustments may be efiected. I

The pusher is reciprocated by a transverse shaft 78 seating in'a forkedmember 79 secured'to the guide rods 58, said shaft being pivotallymounted at its ends in levers 80 connected to the hand lever 16 by alink 81. i

The appliance has been described as hand operated. However, it may beconstructed to operate automatically in known manner, and the batchplates may be fed onto the conveyorlB automatically. 7 i

The conveyor 13 may also be given auto-- matic stepwise movement and maybe timed so that anadditional spacing interval is given between theadditionof the final row of biscuits to one batch plate and the firstrowof biscuits for the next batchplate.

Such automatic features are not described in detail herein because theinventive noveltyof my device is comprehended in the simplehand-actuated forms here shown. 7

Clearance, provided by the displaceable stop, between the last biscuitof a row and the first biscuitof the next succeeding row is important inbiscuit handling, for it enables the predetermined row to be pushed offthe band sidewise without catching on'and breaking the adjacent edges ofthe next biscuit.

The stop has been described as being stepped back by means of the wirecontrol, but the stated object may also be attained by a stop that isdisplaceable in any other way, and a second stationary or permanent stopmay be spaced from the firststop by a distance equal to the clearancedesired. The scope of certain of the claims, therefore, in cludes suchequivalent modifications.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In combination a continuous traveling band, a pusher parallel withsaid band and mounted for reciprocation crosswise the same,

means for actuating said pusher,-a displace-'- able stop positionednormally in the path of travel of articles carried bysai'd band andarranged to be contacted by said articles at a placein front of thepusher, stop-actuating means, a brake member located in advance of thepusher and arranged to engage and arrest articles on the moving bandbefore their arrival at the pusher, brake-actuating means, a conveyorbeneath said band and arranged for stepwise movement in the direction ofthe forward travel of the pusher, a displaceable from said leverrespectively to said pusheractuating means, to said gate-actuating meansand to said conveyor-actuating means, a palr ing the pusher barcrosswise the band, a gate removably located'along the edge of the beltopposite the pusher bar and operatively connected therewith so as' to belifted when the pusher bar moves across the band, a batchconveyor beltlocated beneath the'pusher bar, means for advancing the belt stepwise ina direction crosswisethe band, batch plates carried by said belt, acontrol lever at said sta- 7 'tion operatively connected to said pusherbar and to said belt conveyor for actuating them simultaneously inopposite directions, said brake-actuating control and said stopactuating control both carried on said lever.

- 3; Incombination, a continuous travelingband, a pusher parallel withsaid band and mounted for reciprocation crosswise the same,

'means for 'actuatingsaid pusher, a brake member located in advance'ofthe pusher and arranged to engage and arrest a column of articles on themoving band before their arrival at the pusher, brake-actuating means, aconveyor leading from thezone of operation of the pusher in thedirection of movement of the-pusher during its working stroke, actuating means for sa'idconveyor, a displace able. stop located normally inthe path of travel of articles carried by said band and positionedto becontacted by said articles at a place in front of thepusher, and meansfor the column of articles beyond said brake can becarried on by themoving band and spaced from those held back by the brake.

In testimony whereof, we aifix our signatures.

ROBERT F. MACFARLANEV WILLIAM E. PRESCOTT.

displacingsaid stop awayfrom-the column of articles-out of the path ofthe pusher, whereby before the operation of the pusher of retractiblegrips associatedw'ith said lever, i operating connections from one ofsaid grips to said brake and from the other gripto the displaceablestop." I

2. In combination a traveling band arranged for transporting biscuits infile formation, a stop removably positioned inthe path of travel ofthebiscuits on the band, a brake adapted to engage a biscuit in said fileremote from said stop, manually actuated means for operating said brakefrom a control station, manually actuated means for re moving said stopand for relocating is slightly in advance of its original position, apusher- :bar disposed lengthwisethe conveyor at one side thereof beyondthe brake, means'for mov-

